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The Star
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Flood-hit China expands social security net as extreme rain takes toll
Guizhou was the focus of China's flood alleviation efforts this week, with one of its cities hit by flooding on a scale that meteorologists said could only happen once in 50 years. -- PHOTO: REUTERS BEIJING (Reuters): China has expanded the economic safeguards for segments of its population affected by flood control schemes in times of extreme rainfall, including pledges of direct compensation from the central government and payments for livestock losses. In China, diverting flood-waters to areas next to rivers is a major step in managing downstream flooding. As extreme rainfall grows in frequency, China is increasingly utilising such areas, some of which have been unused until now and have been populated by farms, croplands and even residential buildings, stoking social tensions. According to revised rules on compensation related to flood diversions released late on Friday, the central government will now bear 70% of all compensation funds, with local governments responsible for the rest. Previously, the ratio was to be decided based on actual economic losses and the fiscal situation of local governments. Livestock and poultry that cannot be relocated in time before the arrival of diverted flood-waters will also be included in the compensation scheme for the first time. Previously, only the loss of working animals could be claimed for compensation. In the summer of 2023, almost 1 million people in Hebei, a province on the doorstep of Beijing, were relocated after record rain forced authorities to divert water from swollen rivers to some populated areas for storage, triggering anger over the homes and farms sacrificed to save the Chinese capital. China currently has 98 designated flood diversion areas spanning major river basins including the Yangtze River basin, home to a third of the country's population. During the 2023 Hebei floods, eight flood storage areas were used. Since the start of the East Asia monsoon in early June, precipitation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze has been up to two times higher than usual, officials from the China Meterological Administration told reporters on Friday. In other parts of China, daily rainfall measured by 30 meteorological stations in provinces such as Hubei and Guizhou broke records for the month of June, they said. Guizhou was the focal point of China's flood alleviation efforts this week, with one of its cities hit by flooding on a scale that meteorologists said could only happen once in 50 years, and at a speed that shocked its 300,000 residents. That prompted Beijing to issue pledges on Thursday to move vulnerable populations and industries to low-flood areas and allocate more space for flood diversion. (Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Kim Coghill) - Reuters
The Star
27-04-2025
- The Star
Multiple dead after vehicle drives into crowd at Vancouver street festival, police say
(Reuters) - Vancouver police said on Sunday said that a number of people had been killed and multiple others were injured after a driver drove into a crowd at street festival in the western Canadian city. The driver has been taken into custody, police said in a post on social media platform X. (Reporting by Harshita Meenaktshi in Bengaluru; Editing by Kim Coghill)
Zawya
26-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
China seen leading in chipmaking investment again in 2025, SEMI group says
China will continue to invest more in new computer chipmaking equipment than any other geographical region in 2025, despite a significant year-over-year decline, industry group SEMI said in a report on Wednesday, followed by Taiwan and Korea. In its fabrication plant spending forecast, SEMI said global investments in gear will rise 2% this year to $110 billion, the sixth consecutive year in a row of growth, due to investment in tools needed to make chips for artificial intelligence. The impact of AI will likely be even stronger in 2026, SEMI added, when investment is expected to grow by another 18%. China is the largest consumer of chips and firms there have been expanding chipmaking capacity for years, but they began a huge sprint in mid-2023 and 2024 with government support, as part of a drive to lessen dependence on imported chips and in response to restrictions imposed by the U.S. government. ASML, the largest chip equipment manufacturer, forecasts 2025 sales of $32-38 billion euros, implying market share of more than 25% for its sub-sector, lithography, where it enjoys a dominant position. Other top equipment firms include Applied Materials , KLA, LAM Research and Tokyo Electron, though Chinese equipment makers such as Naura, AMEC and Huawei affiliate SiCarrier are growing fast. Chinese spending is expected to fall to $38 billion in 2025, down 24% from $50 billion in 2024, but still ahead of $21.5 billion in Korea, where SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics are expanding capacity for memory chips. Spending in Taiwan, where leading foundry TSMC manufactures AI chips for Nvidia and others, is projected at $21 billion. Among other regions, the Americas and Japan are each expected to spend $14 billion in 2025, while Europe will spend $9 billion, SEMI said. (Reporting by Toby Sterling; Editing by Kim Coghill)
Reuters
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
At least 11 killed, 30 wounded in Russian missile strike on Ukraine, Kyiv says
KYIV, March 8 (Reuters) - At least 11 people were killed and 30 wounded, including five children, in Russian overnight missile and drone attacks on Ukraine's eastern city of Dobropillia, Ukrainian Interior Ministry said on Saturday. The ministry said Russian forces attacked the city with ballistic missiles, multiple rockets and drones, damaging multi-storey buildings and cars. The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here. Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Kim Coghill
Zawya
13-02-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Baidu says AI chatbot Ernie Bot free from April
BEIJING: China's Baidu said on Thursday that its artificial intelligence chatbot Ernie Bot would be free from April 1. (Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Kim Coghill)
